How to Write an Original AU
This is a page for general information, tips, and tricks that should help Users, new and old, write quality AUs. Note that before reading this page, it is best to read the Rules/Character Guidelines and General Rules pages first, as this page merely details suggestions for writing. We also suggest checking out the What Not to Do Category of articles for examples of what to avoid. Step One: Conceptualizing Think of an idea that would benefit the AUs enjoyment. The cringe factor is a major play in this, if its too cringy nobody is going to want to play it. Stray away from common ideas, because if you do there is less of a chance that someone has made a AU exactly like it. If your worried that someone has already made it, look it up on the internet, and see. (P.S. be careful about the internet... its a dark place there... don't tread to deep.) Please stay away from characters that are present in nearly every AU, its okay if there are a few with edited versions of the characters but not 80% of them. please include at least one original character in your AU. Step Two: Page Formatting First, plan out a simple page format and expand it at will. To make it understandable, do your best to use good grammar and keep it clean. It is best to make use of different templates around the Wiki and the editor features, such as headings, italic text ''and '''bold text'. Again, it is your page, so feel free to write it however, but a clean page format makes the content much more understandable and avoids a lot of confusion. Step Three: Content put uhh good thing! Tips on Content and Expanding a Page TBA Tips on Uniqueness and Making an AU Interesting If you think you have an idea for an AU, be sure to check around the Wiki and other sites to see if there is an AU that already conveys your idea. If your AU is fine, then you can add the page and build upon it. Over time, the AU should be shaped and refined to have great quality. One of the main tips is thinking outside the box. Doing a simple Swap, Crossover, or Setting Change isn't thinking outside the box all that much. If you want your AU to be really unique and interesting, you should come up with a brand new concept that includes new characters, new locations, AND a new plot! However, be sure to keep a few ties to Undertale itself, at the very least. It should have a similar beginning plot, and should feature the canon characters and maybe a few canon locations if they're needed. Tips on Applying OCs and Canon Characters Make the canon character or OC different from canon the timeline of Undertale, but make sure they keep their personality. Such as if you want to you can have Undyne dropping her hatred of humans, but she still likes being extreme if the AU happens some time after the pacifist ending of Undertale. If you're planning on adding OCs, try to keep a reasonable character guideline established. No-one wants a Joke OC or a Mary Sue in such AUs. One example of this is Undertale: The_Revival, where lore-breaking OCs such as Mary Sues and species other than Monsters/Humans aren't allowed for use. Tips on Plot and Locations Remember, what you see in Undertale could not just be the whole Underground, thus you can be creative. However, be sure to take in account the original locations, as most AUs have those locations edited in some way, shape, or form. Basically, revise the original locations to your liking, and add new locations to make the AU more appealing. Almost all AUs have the same beginning plot of the War between Humans and Monsters, which are edited in some way most of the time. However, the best AUs have a different current plot from the original Undertale. The most credible AUs, such as Sciencetale and Undertale: The_Revival, have plots and objectives that actually differ in reasonable ways. Basically, make your edit of the beginning plot, and try to add a new plot into the mix if you want to. How to Avoid Cliches NOTE: This section should be edited to answer all the questions in the comments. Avoiding cliches can get slightly tricky after a few tries, but one or two cliches will not hurt. A few common cliches have been ranked on a "Cringe Factor". The higher the cringe factor, the worse it is. Some cliches paired with others, is a cliche itself, and awards bonus points. (Edit if needed.) There may be a way to avoid this cliche, as well. * Gaster Involved 4 ** Gaster is a mysterious figure that is used WAY too much in AUs. *** Not as cringy if the AU isn't based around Gaster, and Gaster is a minor character. *** Bonus points if Gaster is overpowered in the AU. * Swap AUs 5 ** We already have enough of these AUs, especially duplicates of each other. *** Not as cringy if it's a unique swap AU. *** Bonus points if it's a Genderswap AU. * Crossover AUs 3 ** Another really common AU, it isn't all that creative. *** Not as cringy if it's a crossover with a similar Universe, such as Earthbound. *** Bonus points if it's with an overall cringy or a universe that is not similar Universe, such as FNaF, MLP, or Sonic. * Improper Characters Involved 2-7 ** Scoring depends on the quality of the OC, its page, and how it fits into the AU. *** Bonus points if it's a Mary Sue or a Joke OC. * Anti-Cringe - Also called "Desuifiers". These traits can help lessen cringe. ** Joke AUs *** Some AUs aren't meant to be taken seriously, even if they are extremely cringy. As a result, CFs are ineffective on such pages, and shouldn't have to be changed. *** A good example is UnderQuest, really nothing of that AU is meant to be taken seriously. coding fangames Category:Guidelines